FIFA Releases Statement on Alleged Gianni Infantino’s Call to Donald Trump After FFE Failure
- FIFA responded to reports that its president, Gianni Infantino, repeatedly contacted US President Donald Trump for political support
- The reports emerged after FIFA was forced to suspend the FIFA Forward Enterprise programme following fierce opposition led by UEFA
- A US official also denied separate reports that Infantino was set to speak to Secretary of State Marco Rubio over his position
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FIFA has dismissed reports that its president, Gianni Infantino, reached out to US President Donald Trump amid mounting pressure on his leadership of world football's governing body.
The denial came in direct response to a report by The Times, which claimed the Swiss football administrator had made repeated attempts to contact Trump in search of political backing as threats to his position intensified.
Source: Getty Images
A FIFA Media statement described the claims as fiction, saying:
“The FIFA President has not made any call to the U.S President, or any members of his administration, in recent days. It is pure fiction.”
What triggered crisis for Infantino
The trouble began with the FIFA Forward Enterprise initiative, a programme that reportedly sought to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup to private investors with ties to the Trump family.
The proposal drew fierce resistance from football confederations, with UEFA leading the opposition, partly because the confederations learned about the plan through media reports rather than any formal communication from FIFA.
The backlash was strong enough to force FIFA to suspend the programme before the September 19 deadline that had been set for member associations to submit their positions on it.
Beyond the suspension, Infantino is now facing calls to step down and reportedly losing the support he will need ahead of next year's FIFA presidential election.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Global Affairs Dylan Johnson also moved to distance the Trump administration from the controversy, denying reports that had appeared in the New York Post suggesting Infantino was preparing to speak with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about his situation.
The denials from both FIFA and a senior US official suggest the reports, while widely circulated, have been contested at the highest levels. Infantino's position remains under scrutiny as the fallout from the Forward Enterprise saga continues to develop.
La Liga opposes Infantino’s presidency
Legit.ng previously reported that La Liga joined a growing list of organisations in the football community who have opposed Infantino’s presidency.
La Liga President Javier Tebas has publicly criticised Infantino and some of his decisions at FIFA, including the recent World Cup “sellout”.
Source: Legit.ng
